


The Man In Red

by CandlelightQuill



Category: Inuyasha - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2019-09-21 14:39:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17045561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandlelightQuill/pseuds/CandlelightQuill
Summary: Little children shouldn’t be left alone to wander into the woods, as one tiny girl learns the hard way. Cold and terrified, she is so close to giving up. That is, until the man in red appears before her, his silver hair and red sleeves flowing in the breeze. He isn’t pleased that she was left alone, but the least he can do is see her home safely.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a sad day. She knew because Oji and Ojiichan couldn’t stop crying, and lots of strange people came to cry with them.

 

Nobody said anything, but she knew deep down that they were crying for Baachan. The little girl was still scraped up and bruised from “the accident”. That’s what the grown ups had called it anyway. She only remembered the sounds of the car groaning loudly as they rolled, windows shattering as they tumbled end over end. Still fresh in her young memory was the pungent scent of blood, both Baachan’s and her own.

 

The day all of the sad strangers came was the first time Haru remembered Oji opening a bottle. Everyone had gone home by then, leaving them alone. Oji had cried and drank until he fell asleep on the couch.

 

The little girl grew board in the old house without anyone to play with her. Ojiichan had gone up to his room for the evening, so nobody noticed that the back door had been left open, or when she let herself outside. Certainly nobody noticed when she wandered from the relative safety of the shrine grounds out into the woods that surrounded the Shrine.

 

It was great fun at first. The sky was blue and the sun warmed her cheeks as she played. She made friends with a fuzzy bunny as she chased it through the trees, chatted with a squirrel with a bushy brown tail, and fed a family of field mice a few crumbs of cookie she saved in her pocket. She didn’t notice that the sun would soon be setting, or that the temperature would drop with it.

 

Haru chased her furry friends happily through the trees until she saw a small bunch of early spring flowers. She stopped to marvel at their tiny white petals. Obaasan always loved flowers, Haru remembered with a smile. She picked a few and put them in her pocket, careful not to crush their petals.

 

Standing up on little legs, she decided that it was time to go home, but nothing looked familiar anymore. There were nothing but trees in every direction. She sniffed tentatively at the are, but was unable to scent any traces of home. Downy puppy ears flattened against her silver hair in attempt to stay warm.

 

In a moment her happy little adventure had turned sour. Her laughter turned to fear as she stumbled on, hoping she would find her way back where she had come.

 

Haru did not know how long she wandered through the trees. Small children have no true sense of time. It might have been ten minutes, or two hours. To her though, it felt like an eternity.

 

Tears welled in her eyes, warm and achy. “Oji!” She cried, wiping her nose on her dress. “Oji!” She begged the silence, but there was only the sound of wind rustling through the trees.

 

Finally she plopped down in a heap on the cold ground and cried. It was getting colder, and her tummy hurt with an achy empty feeling. Her new dress was ripped and dirty, and the sky was getting dark fast.

 

That was when he appeared.

 

At first the toddler was startled, but after a moment of silence she was captivated. His long silver hair flitted in the breeze as he stood studying her. He crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his hands inside the voluminous sleeves of his red coat. She noticed the triangular ears atop his head twitch, and she beamed.

 

The little girl stood up on shaky legs and ran to him. She wailed, her tiny body shaken by loud wracking sobs. He knelt down, engulfing her in the folds of his coat. His expression was stern as he studied her face. Without a word he used his large red sleeve to wipe the dirt and tears from her sweet chubby cheeks.

 

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” He scolded gently, picking her up in his strong arms. She sniffled, her tears winding down to soft hiccups. Haru shrunk away, fearing the punishment she knew would surely come. She had broken a rule when she had left the house alone.

 

“Play outside.” She answered softly in her broken baby words. He sighed heavily and traced the bruises on her face with his fingers.

 

“What happened?” He asked.

 

She averted her gaze. She didn’t want him to be angry. She didn’t want him to know that Obaasan was gone.

 

He pulled the girl close, brushing tangled hair away from her little face. “Let’s get you home.” He said. “Hold on.”

 

They were flying! The ground was so far below them! 

At first the movement startled the child, but it wasn’t long before she was squealing with glee. She loved the feeling of the cool air rushing through her ears, of strong arms holding her protectively.

 

Her fun wasn’t to last though. After a few moments, the shrine grounds came into view. With one last push of his powerful legs, he closed the distance and landed gracefully on her bedroom window. He slid it open and hopped inside.

 

The room was warm and familiar, painted with soft hues of pink and cream. Haru smiled and hopped down from his arms, running to grab her favorite toy, a stuffed dog handmade from soft grey socks. She hugged it tightly to herself, then turned and offered it up to the man.

 

“That’s a very nice puppy.” He praised.

 

“Puppy my favorite!” She chattered, snuggling herself into his chest. His arms pulled her into his lap and they sat there in silence together.

 

“I brought you something.” He finally said, pulling something shiny from inside his sleeves. A golden locket dangled by a chair before her, and she reached for it, holding it between her tiny fingers.

 

Carefully he opened it, showing her the picture cradled safety inside. “Ohhh!” She cooed. He chuckled, marveling at her innocent wonder.

 

“Do you know who that is?” He asked, pointing at the man in the picture.

 

“Papa!” Haru answered proudly, reaching up to touch his chin with her soft little hand.

 

“Yes, that’s me. And that is you.” He continued, pointing to the baby.

 

“Who dat?” The toddler asked, pointing at the woman that cradled the baby to her chest, smiling brightly.

 

“That is your Mama.” He answered. His voice was soft and sad sounding to her little ears. She watched as he traced the woman’s face with the tip of his claw.

 

“Haru, where are you?” Oji’s voice called from down stairs. Two sets of fears perked up at the sound. She looked up into her father’s face. He smiled slightly and put her down.

 

“Go on. Oji is calling you.” He said, getting to his feet. Haru wasn’t ready for him to go. She wanted to stay here with him, snuggled in his arms forever. He gently pulled her hands free from around him and pointed her toward the door. “Go on.”

 

“No!” She pouted, her baby face set stubbornly. He smiled a sad smile and touched her soft cheek.

 

He stood up slightly, still bent over at the waist and leaned over her shoulder. “Get going.” He chuckled, giving her backside a gentle swat. Tears of sadness welled in her warm honey eyes. She was worried that she might never see him again. Without warning she lunged at him, wrapping her little arms around his neck. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

 

“Love you Papa.” She whispered.

 

He cleared his throat. “I love you too.” He answered, kissing the top of her downy head. He inhaled her baby scent, committing it to memory, then looked up. His expression was serious as he took her hands and closed them around the locket. “Keep this safe for me.” He told her. Then he was gone, as if he had never been there.

 

That night Haru watched from her window hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She fell asleep clutching the locket in her tiny hands.

 

Neither Oji or Ojiichan had any idea what Haru had gotten up to that day. Not at it would have mattered. When Oji wasn’t working at the shrine he was drinking from another bottle, and Ojiichan was far too old to play with a toddler.

 

Haru’s life was a little lonelier after that. She didn’t have any friends, and was far too young for school. Her favorite time was when Oji would take her to the park down the street.

 

Oji would sit on the bench with his stinky drink as Haru happily played on the swings. She was still much too small to sit in them properly, so instead she would lay down with her belly across the seat and kick with her little legs.

 

This particular trip to the park wasn’t any different than any other. Oji had walked with Haru to the park, and she had run off to play on swings like always.

 

Haru hummed happily to herself, playing that way for hours until the sun began to set. They always went home when the sun went down. She peeked toward the bench where Oji always sat by himself while she played. This time however, it was empty. Oji was nowhere t be seen. She could smell him though, his stinky drink making it easy for her to track him back toward the house.

 

The street was busy with people, but none of them bothered to notice the toddler as she walked along, following the scent Oji had left behind on his way home. She hoped that he wasn’t sick or hurt. Those were the only reasons her innocent young mind could comprehend him leaving her behind. It never occurred to her that he had gotten so drunk that he simply forgot that she had been with him and had stumbled home alone.

 

Haru knew that she was getting closer to home when the smell got stronger. She could see the trees on the hill where she lived a few streets away, and smiled proudly at her own progress as she continued forward.

 

A group of much older boys stood loitering on the corner as she passed by. One of them called out to her as she dutifully ignored him. They looked nice enough, but she was much too focused to stop.

 

Hold up a minute kid!” One of them said, grabbing her firmly by the arm. Haru felt a surge of panic in her belly as she stared up at him. Why had he grabbed her like that?

 

“Lemme go!” She cried, trying to pull away.

 

“Stop crying kid.” One of the other boys barked. He took a drag of his cigarette and dropped it to the ground, smashing it under his shoe. “You bet this is the kid that lady told us about?”

 

“Yeah! Your mommy told us you were missing.” Another boy chimed in.

 

“She sent us to find you.” The one holding her by the arm echoed. He pulled a knife from his pocket and grinned wickedly.

 

That was when Haru knew something was wrong. She had an Oji and an Ojichan and a Papa, but not a Mommy. She cried out, doubling her efforts to break free. Home was so close! If she could get him to let go of her she could run there and be safe.

 

“Shut up you brat—“

 

There was a flash of red and the boy lay crying on the ground clutching his hand, his knife flung several feet away.

 

Haru found herself wrapped in a pair of familiar large red sleeves. She looked up, recognizing her father’s face as he held her close. She smiled widely, wrapping her little arms around his neck in a bear hug.

 

“How’s my girl doing?” He asked, glaring daggers at the group of boys as they stood there in stunned silence. Their friend lay there on the ground, clutching his bleeding arm.

 

“What the hell man?” One of the other boys snapped. He pulled his own knife from his pocket and brandished it.

 

Papa smiled, his eyes flashing with amusement. “Put that tiny thing away before you hurt yourself kid.” He laughed, patting something at his hip as he turned on his heel and walked away.

 

Haru cried then, tears of relief as she buried her face in her father’s neck.

 

“Why are you out here all alone? Where is Oji?” He asked.

 

“We go da park, Oji go home. He sick?” She asked softly, worried for her uncle’s well being. Tears ran hot down her cheeks, blurring her vision slightly.

 

Papa stopped for a moment, a sad smile on his face as he looked at her. Her golden eyes were so much like his own. “You got guts for such a tiny kid.” He said, changing the subject easily. “Just like your Mama. She is brave too.”

 

“Really?” Haru asked, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

 

“Oh yes.” Papa nodded.

 

“Da big boys scary.” She sniffled.

 

“It’s alright. I got you.”

 

There was a moment of silence as Haru calmed again. “Me play on da swing! Me fly!” She announced proudly.

 

“Can you now?” Papa chuckled, stopping at the bottom of the tall stairs that led home. “You mean like this?” He quickly leapt into the air with ease. A squeal of delight bubbled up from inside Haru’s chest.

 

“Yeah! More Papa! Again!” Haru cheered, and he made a quick landing before leaping into the air once more.

 

“Again!” She begged as they landed near the house.

 

“Maybe later,” Papa offered, his voice suddenly serious. He slid the door open and the stepped inside. “Oi! Old man!” He yelled down the hall.

 

Haru heard Ojichan’s feet scuffle against the rug as he shuffled down the hallway toward them.

 

“Inuyasha?” He asked, squinting his eyes as he pulled his glasses from inside his kimono. “What are you—?”

 

“Where is Sota?”

 

“He took Haru to the park.” The old man answered. Papa shifted Haru on his hip and Ojiichan gulped, his face turning a pale grey.

 

The sound of the toilet flushing from down the hall boke the silence and Oji emerged, clutching a full bottle in his hand. He smelled of vomit and his smelly drink and his face was a pale green color. Papa growled and leapt forward, shoving Oji up against the wall.  His free hand wrapped around Oji’s neck.

 

“You bastard!” Papa snarled.

 

Haru had never seen her father so angry. It upset her and she whimpered, burying her face in his shirt. She hadn’t wanted to get Oji into trouble.

 

“Inuyasha! What is going on?” Ojiichan hollered.

 

“I found Haru wandering down the street by herself. A couple of punk kids tried to convince her to go with them. What the _fuck_ is wrong with you? She’s only two!”

 

“Sota, is this true?” Ojiichan asked, his old voice shook. Oji gurgled in response and Papa loosened his grip slightly.

 

“I- I must have forgotten. I didn’t mean—.”

 

“Didn’t mean to what? Abandon my daughter while you got yourself pissed drunk?”

 

“Is she alright?” Oji asked remorsefully.

 

“She’s fine, no thanks to you.” Papa snapped. He let go of the younger man and rubbed Haru’s back, doing his best to soothe her. Haru didn’t want to be soothed. Papa was angry with Oji, and she knew it was her fault.

 

“No be mad at Oji, Papa. Haru sorry!” She wailed.

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Her father hushed, brushing her hair from her eyes.

 

“He’s right baby girl. It’s not your fault. Oji messed up. I’m the sorry one.” Oji said. “Can you forgive me?”

 

Haru looked up at her uncle, hiccuping softly through her tears. Of course she could forgive him, he was her Oji and she loved him dearly.

 

“Haru, why don’t you go up to your room and play for a little bit? Can you do that for me love?” Papa asked, lowering her to the floor. His voice was so soft and gentle that the little girl forgot how angry he had just been a moment ago.

 

“O-ok.” She sniffled.

 

“I’ll come up in a few minutes.” He said as she made her way up the stairs.

 

Haru didn’t really want to be by herself, so she grabbed her puppy and a blanket from her bed and sat down on the floor with the door cracked. She wanted to hear the grown up as they spoke.

 

“I think I’ll go make some tea.” Ojiichan said, excusing himself to the other room.

 

Papa and Oji were quiet for a moment.

 

“Inuyasha, look. I’m sorry.”

 

“Save it Sota.”

 

“I feel aweful.”

 

“You should. You have no idea how scared I was when I saw those boys grab her from the street. They pulled a knife for fuck’s sake. Who knows what they would have done if I hadn’t found her!”

 

“I really fucked up. I’m just working through some things.”

 

“This isn’t the first time I’ve found her alone.”

 

“What?”

 

“The day of your mother’s funeral. I found her out in the woods. She was scared out of her wits. I let it go because I knew you were mourning. I never thought you would let it go this far. How many drinks have you had today? You stink to high heaven.”

 

“Yeah, well you’d drink too if your sister was missing and your mother died in a car accident. Suddenly I’m responsible for caring for my niece, and running the shrine because Ojichan isn’t getting any younger!” Oji explained. Papa sighed.

 

“Then maybe I should take Haru home with me.”

 

“What? No! That’s not what I meant!” Oji yelped.

 

“What am I supposed to do? Just leave and hope that you’ll get your act together before my kid gets killed?”

 

“Excuse me?” Oji snapped. “I’m doing the best I can.”

 

“It’s not good enough.” Papa answered, his voice was soft, but cold.

 

“I’ve made us some tea. Why don’t we all have a cup and calm down.” Ojiichan interrupted as he returned.

 

“Gramps, he’s going to take Haru back with him.” Oji announced.

 

There was silence for a few moments. Ojiichan sighed. “I have to admit that I would miss having her with us, but Sota we’re not exactly equipped to care for a toddler. Maybe things would be different if your mother were still alive, but I think Inuyasha is right. Maybe he should take her home.”

 

“You can’t mean that.” Oji balked.

 

“Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow my boy.” Ojiichan answered. “He is her father after all, and caring for Haru was never meant to be permanent.”

 

“Wow. I thought you would see things my way.” Oji spat angrily.

 

“Look kid, it’s not like—“ Papa tried to explain.

 

“Fine Inuyasha. Just take away the only piece of my sister that I have left.” Oji huffed dejectedly.

 

“It’s for the best, Sota my boy. Inuyasha, would you like to join us for dinner before you and Haru go?” Ojiichan offered.

 

“I uh, no thanks. It’s probably best if we go before it gets too late.” Papa answered, there was a tiredness to his voice. “I’ll go get Haru’s things.”

 

The sound of her father’s feet on the stairs as he made his way up made Haru feel jumpy inside. She quickly wrapped her blanket around herself, snuggling into its fuzzy softness. She hadn’t understood most of what had been said, but she knew something was up. Hiccups still wracked her body as she snuggled her puppy closely to herself. Whatever was happening she would be brave. Papa would never let anything bad happen, she knew that much was true.

 

“Hey, how’s my girl?” Papa asked, setting himself down on the floor beside her. He lifted the blanket up so he could see her face. “Guess what?” He asked, pulling her into his lap. Haru blinked up at him curiously. “You are going to come home and live with me again. Why don’t we get your things packed?”

 

“Ok.” Haru answered dutifully. Papa nodded and set her down on the bed before getting to work. She watched attentively as he packed a small bag with a few of her things.

 

Haru lowered herself to the floor and grabbed one of her favorite books, and her mother’s locket, dropping them into the bag. Papa smiled, reaching his hand for hers. Haru wrapped her little hand around one of his fingers as he lead her from the room.

 

Together they walked back down the stairs. Ojiichan and Oji were waiting for them at the bottom. Haru could smell their tears even though they’d done their best to hide them behind smiles.

 

Oji dropped to his knees and opened his arms wide. The tiny girl dropped her father’s hand and hugged her uncle as tightly as her little arms could muster. She didn’t want to see Oji be sad anymore.

 

“You be a good girl for your Papa. I love you.” Oji’s voice cracked as he squeezed her tightly.

 

“Love you Oji.” Haru echoed. He let her go and she turned to Ojiichan. The old man smiled and motioned for her to come closer, and she obeyed. He leaned against his cane as he bent at the waist, bringing himself close enough to kiss the top of her head.

 

“I will miss you little one.” Ojiichan said, then ruffled her hair with a smile. Haru beamed back and nodded.

 

“Alright baby girl. It’s time for us to go.” Papa said as he lifted Haru into his arms.

 

“She likes to sleep with her puppy when she goes to bed. She’ll cry all night without it. Make sure to ask her if she needs to use the toilet. She won’t tell you until it’s too late. And she’s still in diapers at night.” Oji explained. “Take good care of her.”

 

“I will.” Papa said with a nod before leaping through the door into the the darkness of the night.

 


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark when Inuyasha found himself at the old covered well. The shrine grounds were dark and silent as he pushed the heavy wooden doors open. He cradled Haru gingerly, remembering well the last time he had brought her here. She had been about a year and a half old then. He had convinced himself then that her life would be better on this side of the well, even though it bad been like ripping his heart from his chest. That had been six months ago. He was glad that the ache in his chest had led him to jump through the well today. He hated to think of what might have happened if he hadn’t.

 

He hopped up onto the worn edge of the well, peering down at the dark pit below moments before plunging in. The blue glow of the time slip greeted him as they “fell”, landing many years in the past.

 

Haru hummed lightly to herself, her little fingers toying gently with a strand of his hair. Inuyasha smiled and pulled his coat tightly around her. They didn’t have far to go, but there was a chill in the air.

 

Tucked into the trees, about a half mile from the village was home. It was safe and familiar, but Inuyasha knew that he was expected somewhere else tonight. They were already late.

 

Whizzing through the trees, the fresh air filled his lungs. It was nice coming home. He had always been bothered by the smell of modern Tokyo. Why anyone would choose the stink of the city over the sweet scent of green trees and fresh air he would never understand.

 

After a minute, the trees gave way to farm land. The villagers had started the work of planting their crops of rice as spring advanced. The paddies, now flooded with water, reflected the moonlight.

 

Inuyasha didn’t slow his pace as he entered the village proper. The watchmen were used to him by now. They didn’t even bat an eye when he zipped passed, nothing more than a momentary red blur in the light of their bonfire. He could make out his destination just ahead, the warm lamp light glowing cheerfully through the window. He slowed his pace, landing quietly on the other side of the picket gate.

 

“Inu-Oji! Mama! Papa, Inu-Oji is here!” He heard someone yell before the herd of children ran from the house to greet him.

 

“Inu-Oji, you’re late! We thought you weren’t coming.” Little Mine said, pulling insistently on his coat. (Pronounced: Me-nay)

 

“Mine, stop that.” Hana, her oldest sister scolded.

 

“Mama was worried,” Riku, Hana’s twin sister chimed softly.

 

“Inu-Oji, we went to your house to invite you fishing, but you weren’t home. Where did you go? Did you bring us back anything?” Satoru, the only boy in the large family asked curiously.

 

“Actually, I did bring something back with me, but it isn’t necessarily for you.” Inuyasha chuckled, feeling Haru tuck herself deeper into his neck. She remained hidden from view by his mane of hair and his voluminous red sleeves for the time being.

 

“Alright everyone, let Inuyasha breathe!” Their mother scolded, leaning out the door. She rested one of her hands on her growing belly and smiled at her old friend. “Come inside everyone. Your father has probably finished all of the food by now.” Inuyasha followed the gaggle of children as they scrambled back inside. Sango stopped him at the doorway with a hand on his shoulder, and he nodded. “You had me worried when you didn’t show up earlier. I’m glad you made it.”

 

“I’m late one time and everyone panics.” Inuyasha snorted. Haru wiggled slightly, and he casually shifted her weight. Sango have him a penetrating glance.

 

“You’re up to something, aren’t you?” She accused.

 

“I’m not up to anything.” He lied, offering a friendly smile. His ears twitched ever so slightly. It was almost imperceptible to anyone that wasn’t familiar with the hanyo, but Sango had known him long enough to have learned his tell.

 

“Then what are you hiding under your coat, huh?” Sango reached over and pulled his sleeve away, revealing Haru snuggled against his shoulder. She gasped, taking a step back. “Inuyasha…” She covered her mouth with her hand, tears welling in her eyes. “Is that..?” Inuyasha smiled and nodded. “Oh my! She’s so big!” Sango cried. “Don’t just stand there you idiot! It’s cold out there. The poor darling is going to freeze to death.” She scolded, pulling him inside.

 

“Mama, why are you crying?” Mine asked from her seat near the end of the low dinner table. Sango used the towel she had resting over her shoulder to dry her eyes.

 

“It’s alright dear, they’re happy tears.” Sango sobbed through another bought of tears. “Damn these pregnancy hormones.” She muttered to herself.

 

“Why Inuyasha. It’s so nice of you to join us! I didn’t think you were coming.” Miroku greeted from his seat across the room. “Sango was just saying that I could eat your share if you didn’t show up.”

 

“Don’t listen to him Inuyasha. I never said that.” Sango told him, shooting her husband a dour look.

 

Haru chose that moment to make her presence known, mewling softly as she adjusted her position. The sound was slight, but nobody in the room had missed it.

 

“What was that?” Satoru asked, his young face screwed into a curious expression. Inuyasha sighed, rolled his eyes and squatted down at his usual seat at the table. Mine sat across from him, her dark gaze fixed with curiosity. He pretended not to notice and sat Haru’s bag against the wall behind him.

 

“It’s not a what, it’s a who.” Inuyasha corrected, opening his jacket so Haru was perfectly visible.

 

“It’s a baby!” Mine squealed, scrambling to her knees for a closer look. “Awe, she’s so cute! Inu-Oji, she looks just like you.”

 

“Mine, that’s Haru. Don’t you remember?” Sango asked, carefully lowering herself to the floor.

 

“No, I don’t remember.” The little girl answered.

 

“She’s Inu-Oji and Kagome-chan’s baby girl.” Hana reminded pointedly.

 

“Well, she’s a bit bigger than the last time Mine saw her.” Riku pointed out in Mine’s defense.

 

“Well now. What a pleasant surprise. Is everything alright with Kagome-san’s family?” Miroku wondered as he filled an extra bowl with stew and passed it down the table.

 

“Does something have to be wrong for Inuyasha to bring his daughter home?” Sango snapped.

 

“Why, of course not.” Miroku back peddled. “It’s just— oh, never mind. I’m happy for you my friend. Now can we get back to eating?”

 

The children all nodded their agreement and continued the dinner they had all abandoned when their beloved uncle had arrived. The room was filled with the lively clatter and chit chat of conversation. Inuyasha settled Haru in his lap as Sango set the bowl of stew on the table before him. “Would you like some food too, sweetheart?” She asked Haru.

 

The toddler squeaked and hid her face in her father’s shirt. “She can have some of mine.” Inuyasha answered.

 

“Are you sure?” Sango asked. “We have plenty here.”

 

“Thanks Sango. I’m really not that hungry.”

 

“Alright. You’re going to want a spoon though.” She said, offering up the carved wooden utensil. “Just trust me. Two year olds aren’t the cleanest of eaters.” She explained, taking a bite of her own dinner.

 

The hanyo shrugged. He ladled some of the warm stew into the spoon and blew on it before offering it to Haru. She sniffed it tentatively, then opened her mouth, letting him feed her a bite. She chewed slowly, humming with satisfaction as she opened her mouth again.

 

Inuyasha chuckled. “You want more, huh?” Haru nodded enthusiastically. He ladled more into the spoon, blew on it, then gave her a second bite.

 

“Yummy.” Haru enthused, clapping her little hands together. “More!”

 

“She can talk!” Mine gasped, letting a bit of rice fall in her lap mid-bite.

 

“That’s about the age you started talking too.” Miroku told her.

 

“And she never stopped.” Satoru sniggered behind his cup of tea.

 

“Hey!” Mine pouted, glaring daggers at her older brother. “I can stop talking any time I like, thank you very much!”

 

“Then what’s stopping you?” Satoru goaded.

 

“Satoru, stop teasing your sister and eat.” Sango warned, turning to put some more rice in her bowl. Mine used the chance to stick her tongue out at her brother in a satisfactory taunt. “Mine, put your tongue back in your mouth.” Sango added without turning her head. The girl quickly did as she was told and busied herself with her dinner.

 

Inuyasha was amazed at Sango's ability to know what was going on behind her back. Often he wondered if she wasn't part yokai herself. “You don’t miss a beat.” He said.

 

“It’s just part of being a parent.” Sango answered. “You’ll be doing it soon enough. Haru might still be little, but I’m sure she’ll give you a run for your money.”

 

“Keh. I’m sure I can handle it.” Inuyasha snorted. “I made it through those first few months after she was born. After that, this shouldn’t be so bad.”

 

Both Sango and Miroku laughed then. “You’ll eat your words soon enough my friend.” Miroku chortled. “Toddlers are chaos in potential, wrapped in a sweet baby face.”

 

“Remember when Riku and Hana were little?” Sango reminded. Inuyasha frowned, remembering well all of those hours of ear tugging and hair pulling.

 

“I’d rather not.” He admitted sourly. He hadn’t noticed that Haru had taken it upon herself to grab the bowl of rice on the table. It wobbled precariously before tipping over the edge, dumping sticky white grains into both of their laps. Haru happily grabbed a handful of the rice in each hand and stuffed some into her mouth.

 

Inuyasha growled lightly, not at all pleased with the mess now covering his lap. Haru looked up at him, her chubby little cheeks stuffed with food. She smiled and lifted the other fistful of rice to his mouth. “Eat Papa!” She told him, putting the food to his lips. Inuyasha frowned. How the hell was he supposed to be mad when she did adorable things like this?

 

This time Miroku didn’t even attempt to contain his laughter, and almost fell backward from his seat.

 

“At least it wasn’t the stew.” Sango offered, doing her best to hide her own amusement.

 

Inuyasha took some of the rice into his mouth and Haru lowered her hand, satisfied that he had gotten enough before grabbing another two fistfuls. She stuffed the first into her own mouth, then offered him the other.

 

“No thank you.” He told her calmly. “You eat it.” Haru glared up at him, then angrily stuffed the rice into her own mouth.

 

“Oh my! Isn’t she just like her Mama?” Sango mused. “Here. I’ll take her so you can clean yourself up.” Sango said, reaching for the toddler without a second thought. Haru’s eyes went wide as she stared up the unfamiliar face, then looked back at her father as he stood up and shook the mess form his pants.

 

“Papa!” She cried, reaching back for him.

 

“It’s alright. I’m not going anywhere.” He said dismissively.

 

Sango smiled at the little girl. “It’s okay. See, I’m a Mama. Those are my babies.” She explained gently, pointing across the table at her children.

 

“Hi Haru-chan.” Mine said, crawling behind Inuyasha to sit at her mother’s side. “I’m Mine.” She took Haru’s smaller hand in her own.

 

“No touch!” Haru yelped, snatching her hand away.

 

“I was just trying to be nice” Mine huffed dejectedly, dropping her hands to her lap.

 

“It’s alright Mine. She just doesn’t know you yet. Would you like it if a stranger grabbed your hand?” Sango asked.

 

“I guess not.” Mine admitted sheepishly. “Maybe she would like to play with one of my toys!”

 

“That is very thoughtful, but you need to see if it’s alright with her Papa first.”

 

Mine turned to the adult hanyo, who was still trying to get the last bits of rice from his hakama, and gave him a bright smile. “Is it okay if Haru plays with my toys Inu-Oji?”

 

“Sure. Something tells me she’s done eating anyway.” Inuyasha decided, sitting himself back down to finish what was left of his dinner.

 

“I’m not hungry anymore Mama. Is it alright if I go get my ball?” Mine asked politely. Sango nodded and the little girl scampered off.

 

“I’m done too Mama, may I be excused?” Riku asked.

 

“Of course, as long as you and your sister help me clear the table later.”

 

“Thank you Mama.” Both girls chimed as they left the room.

 

“What about me?” Satoru whined, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m done too. Can’t I go?”

 

“Of course you can son.” Miroku said.

 

“Can I go to the bonfire? Ichiro and Kenji are going?” Satoru asked as he got to his feet.

 

“Alright. Fine.” The boy smiled brightly and ran through the door into the dark. “But don’t be gone too long!” Miroku called after him, earning a backward wave from the boy as he disappeared.

 

Mine returned from the other room with her ball tucked under her arm as she plopped down next to her mother once more. “Would you like to play?” She asked, offering the toddler her ball. Haru took the toy between her hands and studied it.

 

“Ok.” She finally agreed, pushing herself out of Sango’s lap.

 

“We can play in my room then.” Mine said, gently guiding Haru toward the door.

 

“Be gentle Mine. Haru is still little.” Miroku reminded her as they headed down the hall.

 

“Alright Papa. I’ll be careful.”

 

“Finally, some peace!” Miroku sighed, patting his stomach. “Dinner was delicious as always, Sango my love.” He added. “I think I’ll head down to the bonfire to see what Satoru is up to.” And with that he got up and left.

 

“Well, that was exciting.” Sango offered, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

 

“That’s one way to put it.” Inuyasha snorted, putting his empty bowl on the table. “Thanks for dinner.”

 

“You’re welcome. You and Haru are welcome anytime.” She added, rubbing her pregnant belly absently.

 

“I _can_ cook you know.”

 

Sango smiled. “I know you can, but just humor me.” She asked. The hanyo shrugged. “I really am happy for you Inuyasha. I’m glad you decided to bring Haru home.”

 

“Yeah.” He sighed thoughtfully. “I just hope that I don’t screw up.”

 

“Cut that out.” Sango chided. “ You took to it pretty easily when she was first born.”

 

“Babies are easy. It’s not hard when all they do is lay there. She’s a bit older now if you hadn’t noticed. I missed half a year of her life.” His ears sank low to his head.

 

Sango shook her head dismissively. “Pfft. You were there when she first crawled, and when she walked, and for her first words. You just thought you were doing what was best at the time. That’s all any of us really can do. She seems to adore you anyway.”

 

“Keh.”

 

“MAMA!” Mine bellowed loudly from down the hall. A moment later she came stomping in, holding Haru up at arms length. “Mama, she _wet_ her yukata!”

 

“Lemme go!” Haru yowled, squirming to get free of Mine’s grip. The older girl decided that she’d had enough of the toddler and plopped her down none too gently on the floor and stomped off. Haru pushed herself up and toddled over.

 

“I’m done playing now!” Mine huffed from down the hall again.

 

Inuyasha groaned. It had been a long while since he had changed a diaper. He gave Sango a helpless glance. She shook her head and signed.

 

“Alright. I’ll help you this once. After this you’re on your own.” Sango pushed herself to her feet with a groan. “Strip her down. I’ve got some old clothes from when Mine was smaller. I’m pretty sure I have some diaper cloth somewhere too.” She said, waddling away.

 

“Uh-oh.” Haru whimpered pitifully, reaching her tiny hands upward.

 

“You said it pup. Let’s get you out of those wet things.” Inuyasha said, stripping her to her skin. “You need a bath.” He muttered to himself. Haru’s eyes grew wide, and before he knew it she was running. She almost made it out the front door before he managed to scoop her up and bring her back inside. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 

“No wanna bath!” Haru wailed, pushing his arms away with what strength she could muster. When that didn’t work she turned to hitting him with her hands. Of course she couldn’t hurt him, but the behavior still wasn't appreciated. Inuyasha growled, grabbing both of her little hands in one of his own. “You don’t hit. You got that?”

 

“NOOOOO!” She wailed louder, trying her best to squirm away.

 

“We haven’t been here more than a few hours kid, and you’re already testing my patience.”

 

“She’s probably just tired Inuyasha.” Sango said as she waddled back into the room. “Here, I brought a wet cloth and some clean clothes. Would you like some help?”

 

“Please.” Came Inuyasha’s clipped reply. “I’m clearly not doing this right.”

 

“You’re doing fine.” Sango said, handing him the wet cloth. “You’ve got to be gentle, but firm.”

 

Inuyasha nodded his head and took a deep breath, waiting for Haru to quit her tantrum. It took a little while, but finally she calmed down.  “Are you done now?” He asked, looking Haru in the eye. She sniffled, but nodded obediently. “Good. I’m going to put you down, and you’re going to stay put, got it? You try and run away again and I will swat you.”

 

“Ok Papa.” She answered, adding another sniffle for good measure. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sat her down on the floor, accepting the wet cloth from Sango.

 

Haru stood still while she was washed clean. She hadn’t done it quietly though, earning herself a warning swat on her bare behind. Inuyasha felt guilty as soon as he’d done it though. Her little lip had stuck out in a pout and her eyes had welled with tears as she looked up at him with a look of betrayal. He had to remind himself that she _had_ misbehaved to keep himself from scooping her up and comforting her right away. He made a mental note to only use the punishment as a last resort.

 

In any case Haru had held still long enough to get washed up, redaipered and dressed in clean clothes. She yawned a big yawn and leaned against her father’s chest when they were finally done. Inuyasha blew a frustrated breath between his teeth and picked her up before grabbing the soiled clothes from the floor.

 

“You can leave those here. I’ll wash them for you.” Sango told him. He quirked a dark brow questioningly. “Don’t give me that look, or I might not decide to be nice next time. I’m doing laundry tomorrow anyway. You’ve got enough on your hands for now. Go home. Put Haru to bed.”

 

“Thanks Sango.” Inuyasha dropped the dripping clothes back to the floor. 

 

“You’re welcome. Just remember that the next time I need some time to myself.” Sango teased.

 

“I can barely handle my own kid. You think I could handle _all_ of yours?” He sputtered. Sango laughed dryly.

 

“I wasn’t talking about the kids Inuyasha, but don’t tempt me.”

 

The hanyo gulped and quickly grabbed Haru’s bag before Sango went back on her word. “Night.” He called over his shoulder.

 

“Good luck!” Sango called after him.

 

Inuyasha was relieved when Haru fell asleep on the way home. He managed to sneak quietly inside and had her all but tucked into bed when suddenly she was awake once more. 

 

“Where puppy?” She asked sleepily.

 

“I’ve got it here in the bag.” He explained as he reached over and unzipped it. Inuyasha’s heart sank when he realized that it wasn’t in there. He had the clothes Sango had given them and a few other things, but not one hide nor hair of that stuffed dog.

“I’m sorry Haru, I can’t find it. I must have left it behind at dinner. We can go back tomorrow and get it.”

 

That had been the wrong thing to say because immediately Haru began to cry. Not just cry, but scream loud, ear ringing, roof shaking cries. Inuyasha picked her up and held her against his shoulder, bouncing and rubbing her back in a futile attempt to calm her down while scanning the floor for the toy. Secretly Inuyasha cursed the day he’d first seen that stuffed dog, as it was now the bane of his existence.

 

The first night and he’d already done the two things Sota had warned him not to do. It was a good thing he didn’t need much sleep, because at this rate he sure wasn’t going to get any.

 

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Inuyasha growled, ready to punch whoever dared bother him now. “What do you want?” He snapped, swinging the reed mat out of the way.

 

Miroku blinked then grinned from ear to ear. “I walked all the way here to bring this to you, but if you’re going to be like that I might as well take it home with me. “ he said, holding up the stuffed dog in his hand.

 

Haru’s wails hadn’t quieted, and at this rate even from a half mile away she could quite possibly wake everyone in the village.

 

“Just give that to me.” He snapped, making to grab the toy. Miroku moved it behind his back and waggled his finger. “Tch, tch Inuyasha. Where are your manners?”

 

“Just give it to me already. You want her to wake up the whole damn village?” He hissed, murder burning in his eyes.

 

“I can see you are desperate.” Miroku conceded, handing the toy over. Inuyasha snatched it up and quickly offered it to his screaming child.

 

It was like magic as soon as her eyes layed on that puppy. Haru’s wails died immediately as she hugged it to herself. She snuggled against his shoulder and fell asleep as if nothing had been wrong just a moment before.

 

“Not even a thank you?” Miroku asked, feigning a disappointed pout, but the mischievous twinkle never left his eye.

 

“Just shove it, why don’t you?” Inuyasha snapped. There was no way in hell he was going to let the monk have the satisfaction. “Tell Sango that I said thank you for helping me earlier. Now get lost before I punch your smug face.”

 

“Alright.” Miroku shrugged. “Good night my friend, and good luck. You’re going to need lots of it.” He added as he headed down the path toward the village and his own home.

 

Inuyasha swung the matting closed, glad that everything was finally quiet. Hopefully now everyone could get some sleep before sunrise.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

_“Morning sleepy head.”_

_Inuyasha rolled over, blinking the sleep from his eyes._

_“Morning.” He yawned._

_Kagome sat beside him, her yukata loose around her shoulders as she nursed the baby. The early morning light filtering through the window framed her sleep tangled hair in a warm glow almost as bright as her smile. Inuyasha smiled back and sat up, wrapping himself around her from behind._

_He leaned his head against her shoulder, enjoying the feel of her skin against his own. She was soft and warm, and smelled heavenly. He breathed deeply, drawing Kagome’s scent into the deepest recesses of himself._

_“Get enough sleep?” Kagome asked, snuggling herself into him._

_“Yup.” He kissed the spot behind her ear, reveling his attention with his lips and fangs._

_“What are you up to?” Kagome giggled lightly._

_“I’m *kiss* not up *kiss* to *kiss* anything.”_

_“Uh huh. Just don’t start anything you can’t finish. We have somewhere to be, remember?” She scolded gently. Inuyasha growled in frustration and rested his chin against her shoulder. Small honey eyes blinked up at him curiously and he smiled._

_“Spoiled pup, stealing all of your mother’s attention.” He teased, gently rubbing the back of his hand against his daughter’s soft cheek. Haru pulled away and offered a milky smile, then nuzzled her mother’s breast before continuing her breakfast._

_“You got plenty of my attention last night if I remember.” Kagome reminded. He could practically hear her eyes rolling._

_“Keh.”_

_Haru finished nursing then. She was growing fast, and the morning ritual was more for comfort than for sustenance._

_“Here, she can have your attention now. Can you get her ready while I make breakfast?”_

_Inuyasha leaned back slightly and lifted his pup to the air, earning a happy gurgle and a smile. He kissed Haru’s little nose and tucked her against his shoulder._

_Kagome pulled her yukata over her shoulder and cinched it closed, humming softly to herself as she headed to the other room. He watched her go, her hips swaying slightly with each step. She stopped in the doorway, bent over for a moment and gave him a perfect view of her round backside. Kagome turned and grinned, waggling her fingers playfully as she righted herself and continued on her way._

_Inuyasha gulped, suddenly feeling a bit warmer under the collar. Damn that woman would be the death of him. Now he would have to spend all day smelling her arousal, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the squirmy pup in his arms._

_“Alright wiggle butt. Your mother has spoken.”_

_He used his free hand to open the small wooden chest where Kagome kept the clean diapers and baby clothes, then laid Haru down on the sleeping mat._

_With practiced skill he changed her diaper and dressed her, sparing a few moments to snuffle her soft warm belly. Her little hands batted at his hair as she laughed and squirmed._

_“Pa!” Haru burbled, earning a proud smile from her father._

_“You can say it pup. Say ‘Papa.” He coached, bobbing his head with each syllable._

_“Pa.” Haru burbled again, stuffing her fingers into her mouth._

_“You’ll get it kid. Don’t worry.” He sighed, rubbing her downy ears._

_“I’ve got breakfast almost done!” Kagome called. Inuyasha’s stomach growled at the smell of his wife’s cooking wafting in from the other room. Haru cooed in recognition, her little ears perking up at the sound of her mother’s voice. She rolled over and pushed herself to stand on shaky legs. Haru smiled proudly, bouncing at she gained confidence. Inuyasha smiled and offered his fingers as she took a step forward, then another._

_“We’re coming.” Inuyasha answered, watching his little girl go with a thoughtful look in his eye._

_——-_

_“You sure she’ll be alright?” Inuyasha asked as he crouched low, offering Kagome his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and laughed._

_“Haru will be just fine, Inuyasha. Stop being such a worry wart.” She teased. “I think Sango can more than handle anything Haru throws at her.”_

_“Keh. I know that.” Inuyasha groused. “It’s just the first time we’ve been away without her. It feels… wrong.”_

_“You’re so cute when you worry.” Kagome hummed, leaning in close enough to let her breath tickle his cheek. “It’s a simple enough job. With any luck we’ll be back in time for dinner.”_

_“Let’s get going then. The faster we take care of this, the sooner we can come home.” He huffed, leaping into the air with easy grace. He gripped Kagome’s legs and pulled her tightly against himself, loving the feel of her body wrapped so intimately around his own._

_He reminded himself that it was just a simple grave purification to oppease an angry spirit a few villages over. If they hurried, he could have them back by lunch and they could fit in a little ‘alone time’ before picking Haru up from Sango._

_——_

_“Kaze no kizu!”_

_The ground quaked as the attack hurled toward the spirit, that of an armor clad samurai of immense proportions. Tetsusaiga’s attack was absorbed like it was nothing through the glowing purple stone set in the center of his chest._

_“I grow stronger with each attack you throw at me hanyo!” He laughed maniacally. He threw his hand forward, sending a bolt of energy at Inuyasha’s chest._

_Inuyasha felt the arch of energy hit him like lightning, forcing his yokai to the surface to be drained away. He was sent flying backward by the sheer force of it._

_“Kotodashi!” Kagome screamed, running forward. She placed herself between Inuyasha and the spirit, shielding her husband with her body. “Stop this!” She demanded._

_The samurai stared down at the priestess, his black eyes glinting madly. “Why do you protect that abomination? Is it not your sacred duty to rid the world of their taint?”_

_“I protect those worthy of protecting, human or yokai.” Kagome answered defiantly._

_“Then you will die with him! I will wipe them_ **_all_ ** _from existence!” Kotodashi bellowed. His massive body pulsed before becoming engulfed in a flowing black mass of demonic power._

_“Kagome! NO!” Inuyasha yelled, landing hard against a stone grave marker with a loud crack. He felt weak from the attack, and he grunted, wiping sweat from his brow. He watched as Kotodashi’s writhing spirit advanced on his wife, helpless to get to her in time. She lifted both of her hands, training one on the spirit, the other palm facing behind._

_“Stay back Inuyasha!” Kagome ordered, seconds before she erected a barrier between them. Inuyasha felt his stomach sink like a stone and he jumped to his feet. Running at full speed, he prayed that it would give way for him, but he found himself repelled backward. Her barrier was as unforgiving as a stone wall._

_“Don’t do this!” Inuyasha begged. “We can defeat him together. Just let me through!” He knew that purifying something this large would cost a great deal of Kagome’s power. The exertion alone could kill her_

_“I can’t do that. Kotodashi is feeding off of your yoki. If he gets any stronger he’ll kill you! I have to purify him. It’s the only way.” Kagome answered. She turned around and smiled at him, tears streaming down her face. “Give Haru a kiss from me, okay?”_

_“You can kiss your yourself wench!” Inuyasha pleaded, pelting his fists against the barrier with all of his might._

_“I love you so much.” She told him before turning fully toward the ancient saurai’s writhing spirit. The energy surging from her hands glowed blindingly, clashing against the blackness like a tidal wave before it engulfed everything in a bright white light. “Wait for me…” her voice echoed softly on the wind._

_“KAGOME!” Inuyasha howled as he watched Kagome’s silhouette fade. With one last blast he was flung backward again, landing hard against another gravestone. This time the force of it broke the rock in two, knocking the wind from his lungs. When he finally managed to right himself Kotodashi’s spirit was gone, and Kagome along with it. “NOOOO!” He screamed, reaching for Tetsusaiga._

_“Meido Zangetsuha!” He bellowed, swinging Tetsusaiga at the open air. “Meido Zangetsuha! Meido Zangetsuha! Meido…”_

_Tetsusaiga pulsed lightly, reverting to its rusted form. Inuyasha fell to his knees then, realizing that not even Tetsusaiga’s Meido could reach where Kagome had gone. He fell to his knees, letting a wild cry escape him. The haunting sound echoed for miles._

_“Kagome.” Inuyasha whispered to the silence. He dug his claws into the earth beneath him. His grief was raw in his chest, like his heart had been ripped out, leaving a gaping hole behind. Nothing mattered now that Kagome was gone. His life had no meaning without her in it._

_‘Give Haru a kiss from me...’ her voice echoed hauntingly on the wind._

_——————————————_

Inuyasha woke with a start, his pulse thrumming loudly in his ears. He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead, glad for the coolness that still clung to the early spring air. The room was dark, but through the window he could just make out the first grey rays of the sun as it rose over the trees. The bedcovers felt warm and cozy in his post nightmare haze, and he was glad for the comfort, no matter how small.

His dreams of that awful day were vivid. He could still smell Kagome’s tears, still see the way they had sparkled in the light of her spiritual release. At first the dream had plagued him every night. It kept the pain of his grief fresh and toyed with his sanity. Eventually they had tapered of, and now they only reared their ugly head once or twice a month. On those nights he couldn’t sleep in the bed, choosing instead to sit himself on the floor with his back to the wall. That was where he had planted himself to keep watch over Haru the night before. He had no memory of moving to the bed.

Haru.

He couldn’t see her on the bed anymore.

Panic welled in Inuyasha’s gut, irrational and wild. His nose told him that his child was close, but his brain wouldn't listen to reason. Flinging the covers from himself, a flood of relief washed over him when he saw the small bundle of pup snuggled against his side, Kagome’s locket resting against her chest. She suckled her little thumb as she slept peacefully. Her sleep yukata had ridden up over her belly, and she shivered in the cool morning air.

How someone as wild and gruff as himself could take so easily to fatherhood he couldn't rightly answer. He had been so certain that he would be terrible at it.

The moment Kagome had handed Haru to him for the first time had changed his mind. It had been love at first sight. His heart had practically burst with it. He promised then and there that she would get the childhood that he had been denied. His child would know she was safe and loved.

He had almost failed to keep that promise twice now. After Kagome’s disappearance he had done his best to hold everything together, but he hadn’t been able to look at her without his guilt and grief overtaking him. He had thought Haru would be safest in the future with Kagome’s family, but since Mrs. Higurashi’s death Sota had barely been able to take care of himself, let alone a child.

He knew better than to let himself fall into the black hole of self pity. Haru was with him now, and that was all that mattered to him. He had been absent for six months of her life, even missing her second birthday. He refused to miss even a minute more if he could help it.

Haru was so peaceful as she slept. She was the spitting image of her mother. Inuyasha felt his heart clench painfully at the thought. He wished so badly that Kagome were here now. He had spent months searching for any sign of her, anything that could help him get to where she had gone. So far though there had been nothing. Not even so much as a whispered rumor. Perhaps he would visit Kaede later to see if she had heard any news.

He had taken Haru to visit the old priestess once before on her first day back. Kaede had been so happy to see her that she had burst into tears. The hanyo hadn’t  seen the old woman cry since she had been a child.

Inuyasha supposed that Kaede was already awake and tending to her duties as the village priestess by now. Even so, it was much too early to wake Haru yet. Pups needed plenty of rest. That meant there was time for him to get a few things done. He took extra care not to jostle Haru as he slid out of the bed, tucking her back under the bedcovers.

Years of moving silently through the forest hunting prey came in handy as he snuck to the living room. He grabbed the water pail from beside the cooking pit to refill for the day and headed outside.

The soft grey of the sky was split by the bright oranges and pinks of sunrise. The forest air was a heady mixture of winter rot and new spring growth, and he breathed deeply, drawing the crisp air into his lungs. In the trees he could hear the beginning flutters of movement as the birds and other animals woke for the day. He yawned, stretching his muscles a bit as he relieved himself on a bush before continuing his morning routine.

The stream bubbled cheerfully as he knelt on the bank to dip the pail into its shallow depths. It filled slowly, but he didn’t mind killing the time. Being out among the trees was where he felt the most relaxed.

After the water pail was full and set back inside the house, he lit the cooking fire and got the rice steaming along with a few small fish from the stream. It was rather domestic of him, but even the wildest of beasts could become tame under the right circumstances. He knew deep down thought that you could take the hanyo from the forest, but you couldn’t take the forest from the hanyo. There had been a reason he had insisted on building their home in the woods. It was more tranquil for one, but mostly it was because the villagers rarely ventured this deep into his forest.

He sat next to the cooking pit for a while, lazily poking at the coals in the fire when he finally heard Haru stir in the bedroom. She fussed softly, stumbling from the room rubbing her sleep heavy eyes with the backs of her hands. She was bare except for a diaper, her yukata apparently lost somewhere between the bed and the door. Her silver hair was a tangled mess, curling at odd angles around her face and ears. Inuyasha smiled, unable to contain his amusement at the adorable mess that was his daughter.

“Morning sleepy head.” Inuyasha chuckled, pulling the sleepy pup into his lap when she came close enough. She whined and snuffled against his shoulder, still not fully awake. He brushed her hair away from her face, planting gentle kisses on her cheeks.

“No tickles Papa.” Haru complained, shoving his chin away with her little hand.

Inuyasha ran his hand over his chin and felt the stubble that had grown in. He had been so preoccupied with caring for Haru the last few days that he hadn’t had much time to do more than splash his face with water every morning. He made a mental note to take care of it later if he had time.

“You don’t like my kisses?” He asked teasingly, rubbing his chin against her cheek again. Haru squealed loudly and squirmed in his arms. Inuyasha flattens his ears against the assault on his hearing and frowned. “Not so loud kid.” He grumped.

“Want down!” Haru demanded, now fully awake and ready to run. He let her go and she scampered out of his reach, her face set in an angry pout.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s seen that look before. It was the same face Kagome made when she was annoyed with him. It would seem that Haru’s budding personality closely mirrored that of her mother’s, and if that was even slightly true he was in trouble.

The rest of the morning progressed smoothly enough though. Breakfast had been uneventful, and afterward Haru had held still long enough for him to get the both of them ready for the day. Inuyasha decided that he had given old Kaede plenty of time to complete her shrine duties.

He scooped Haru up as he headed out the door. “Let’s go see Kaede.” He said absently.

“OK!” The toddler enthused, her large golden eyes blinking up at him innocently. “Papa fly?”

“Alright. Hold on tight.” He agreed, leaping into the air.

———

Haru was all smiles and giggles after they finished their run through the trees. They sailed passed the water flooded paddies tended by the villagers. A few looked up and waved to them as they ran by.

“So fast!” Haru laughed.

“Do you like to go fast?” Inuyasha laughed along with her. Her head bobbed with enthusiasm, and she clasped her little hands together above her heart.

“Yeah yeah!”

Inuyasha continued his run through the village, easily leaping from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way to Kaede’s hut near the other side of town. He landed on the roof of her hut silently, watching the old woman go about her morning. The old priestess crouched in the field beside her home, a gaggle of village children gathered about her feet.

“Kaede-sama, what are you doing?” One of the young girls asked curiously.

“I am collecting the blossoms of this plant here. When steeped in a tea it is wonderful for relieving aches and pains after a hard day’s work.”

“My father is always saying how much his back aches at the end of the day! May I take some home for him?”

“Me too?”

“I bet my mother would like some of that!”

“And my Obaasan!”

“Me too!”

The old woman smiled fondly and nodded. “Of course, as long as ye help collect enough. Each of ye take a basket.”

“Yay!” Came the collective cheer as the children happily joined her in her task.

“Ye must be careful not to uproot the plant when harvesting the blossoms. If ye are gentle enough they will blossom again and again until the end of summer.” Kaede instructed, dropping a handful of the dainty yellow flowers into her own basket.

“Kady Baasan!” Haru chirped, mispronouncing the old woman’s name. Kaede looked up then and waved at Haru, who waved back.

“It is rude to lurk Inuyasha.” Kaede scolded.

Inuyasha leapt from his rooftop perch and landed softly on his feet before the old woman. “Keh. I don’t lurk.” He scoffed, his chin lifted in a show of arrogance. 

“Inu-Oji!” Mine cheered, popping out of the gaggle of children to greet him. “I’m helping Keade Obaasan collect these flowers today. Papa is always saying how his back aches. I think this will help.”

“That’s...nice.” Inuyasha greeted, setting Haru on her own two feet. The toddler quickly ducked behind him, clinging to his leg shyly as she stared at the unfamiliar children.

“Awe! You brought Haru-chan!” Mine exclaimed. Jumping to her feet excitedly, she bounded over. “You’re so cute!” She cooed, reaching out her hand. Haru stared at her, honey eyes wide as she assessed the older girl, sniffing tentatively. “Would you like to help me Haru-chan? If that’s okay with you Inu-Oji.”

Haru’s ears flicked in interest, but she stayed put, looking up to her father for assurance.

“Sure. I don’t see why not.” Inuyasha answered. He stepped aside letting Mine take Haru by the hand and lead her away.

“We’re picking flowers Haru-chan. Would you like to help?” Mine asked dutifully, showing the toddler a handful of the delicate blossoms.

“Pretty flowers!” Haru gasped, happily dropping to the ground to grab one of her own.

Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kaede. The old woman knelt in the grass, a warm smile gracing her weathered face.

“What?” He snapped, uncomfortable with the wistful look in her eyes.

“It’s just— oh nothing.” Kaede sighed with a dismissive shave of he head. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?” She asked, struggling to push herself to her feet. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, then offered her a hand, easily pulling her to her feet. “Thank ye.”

“Keh.”

“Perhaps ye just missed my company.” Kaede teased.

“Ha! Not likely.” Inuyasha snorted, although there was no real bite to his retort. The old woman had a way of getting on his nerves with her nagging and scolding, but in truth she was a much part of his family as Miroku and Sango were. “I just came to see if you had heard any rumors.”

Kaede sighed heavily. “I haven’t heard anything new I’m afraid.” She shook her head solemnly. Inuyasha frowned. He’d had a feeling that would be her answer. “But while I have ye, I have a few things I could use help with.”

“Getting lazy in your old age?” Inuyasha joked lightly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Hardly.” She grumbled, shooting him a quelling glance, which he promptly ignored.

“You humans wear out too easily.” He snorted. “Tell me what you need doing already.  I don’t have all day.”

Kaede shook her head disapprovingly, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Years of dealing with the hanyo’s rude remarks taught her that correcting him was a wasted effort. He had a habit of tuning her out when she took on a certain tone. “We aren’t all blessed with the longevity of yokai blood. Follow me inside then.” She huffed, making her way toward her hut.

Inuyasha spared a glance at Haru, who was happily picking blossoms with the other children. Satisfied that she was occupied for the time being, he followed Kaede inside.

——-

Haru loved flowers, so when Mine showed her how to gently pluck the pretty blossoms she had happily joined in.

As the minutes ticked by, one by one the other children gathered closer, wanting a better look at the newest addition to their group.

“Awe! She’s such a cute baby!” Rini cooed, dropping to her knees beside Haru. She brushed her wavy locks behind her ears and leaned low, getting cheek with Haru. “Hello Haru-chan.” Rini chirped, touching Haru gently on the shoulder.

The toddler leaned away slightly, but otherwise ignored her, training her attention on the flowers instead.

“Is Inuyasha-sama really her Papa?” Hiro asked, studying Haru curiously. 

“Uh huh. Can’t ya tell? She looks just like him.” Mine nodded. “And Kagome-oIbadan is her mama too.”

“Pretty flowers!” Haru interrupted, proudly showing off her handful of flowers for inspection.

“Good job Haru!” Mine praised warmly.

“She’s so cute I could die!” Another girl, Akina giggled.

Haru hummed happily to herself, carefully dropping a small handful of the blossoms into the large basket like she’d been shown.

“Pfft. She’s not cute.” Hideki, the village headman’s grandson and budding bully scoffed. He was large for his young age, a fact that he was fully aware of and frequently used to his advantage. He shoved several other children aside as he made his way over, stopping just short of Haru’s sitting place. He had a wicked gleam in his eyes as he gave the toddler a once over. “I mean, look at that weird hair and those stupid ears!” He sneered. He reached forward without any provocation and grabbed one of Haru’s ears with a rough yank.

“Ahhhh!” Haru wailed at the sharp pain. Her little arms flailed helplessly. “Owweeee!”

“That’s right! Cry! Dirty half breeds like you deserve everything they get!” Hideki raised his fist high, readying to strike.

“Leave her alone Hideki!” Mine yelled, glaring daggers at the boy. 

Hideki’s grin widened, his dark eyes flashing with excitement. “Ha! My Obaasan was that hanyo don’t deserve to even be born. They’re stupid and dirty!” His fist contacted with a sickening thud against Haru’s side, followed by a second strike and a third and fourth.  The fifth landed on her upper arm and the sixth across her cheek and chin. 

Haru curled up into a tight ball and bawled, unable to defend herself against Hideki’s assault.

“Cry all you want brat. Nobody can help you now.”

“Hideki, stop! You’re hurting her!” Mine yelled again. The boy grinned at her and aimed another blow at Haru. Mine took action then, jumping over Haru, curling around the toddler like a shield.

“Hanyo lover! You’re no better than they are!” Hideki’s fists landed one after the other against Mine, but she refused to budge.

Hideki suddenly found himself yanked upward by the scruff of his shirt. A deep threatening snarl made the hackles on the back of his neck stand on end. He blanched, sparing a glance upward. Inuyasha glared down at him, fangs bared threateningly.

“Help! I’m being attacked by the vicious hanyo! He’s going to eat me!” Hideki yelped, kicking his feet madly as he attempted to get away.

Golden eyes flashed as the grown hanyo leaned over the budding bully. “If I ever catch on touching my daughter or Mine like that again you little shit, I _will_ eat you.” He hissed. He tossed Hideki, letting him land in a heap on the ground.

Hideki spared a hateful glance at Inuyasha as he righted himself. “I’m going to tell by Obaasan about this! Nasty, filthy half breed!” He yelled over his shoulder as he scurried away.

The other children stared at Inuyasha, eyes wide with equal parts fear and awe. He knelt beside Mine and they scattered like mice, terrified by the fury in his eyes. He clenched is jaw and swallowed, ignoring them as he gently touched Mine’s arm.

The girl slowly uncurled herself from around Haru. Blood trickled slowly from her nose,  but she didn’t seem to notice.

Haru cried loudly, large tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Without hesitation he scooped her up. A large red bruise was already forming across her chin and right cheek, and he growled again, snuggling her against his chest. He shouldn’t have let that little fucker off so easily, but he had missed his chance. 

“Inu-oji!” Mine cried then, jumping up to cling to him. She buried her face in his hair and wailed. Inuyasha sighed and wrapped his arms around her too, patting her back.

“You okay kiddo?” He asked softly. Mine shook her head.

“Bring the girls inside.” Kaede instructed. Inuyasha grunted his understanding and lifted both girls up, heading inside Kaede’s home. “Hiro, go and fetch Mine’s mother. Quickly now!”

The boy squeaked, his foot slipping in the dirt as he scrambled to a running start.

Inuyasha awkwardly lowered himself to the floor, doing his best not to squash the girls as he found a seat. They clung to him, faces buried in his shirt as they cried.

He flattened his ears against his head, unable to quell the guilt that was planting itself in his chest.

Kaede stepped inside after a moment and grabbed a cloth from a basket and dipped it into the water bucket. She wrung it out and scooted close, resting her wrinkled hand on Mine’s shoulder.

“Mine my dear, we must stop your nose from bleeding.” She explained, tucking Mine’s dark hair behind her ear.

The girl sat up, revealing the bruise that was forming under her left eye. She took a shaky breath and hiccuped, blood trickling from her nose down her chin. Kaede invited Mine closer with a wave of her hand and pulled the girl into her own lap to wipe her clean.

Inuyasha busied himself with Haru, who was wailing loudly, tears and snot running down her face. The bruise on her cheek was spreading to her chin, and he winced in sympathy. 

“Inuyasha, ye must check her for broken bones.” Kaede told him, and he nodded. Haru continued to wail as he stripped her clothes off, running his hands over her skin in search of any hidden injuries. To his relief as well as disgust he only found several large bruises  on the side of her torso, blooming dark under her tender skin.

“Son of a bitch.” Inuyasha cursed. He had to fight the urge to put a hole in Kaede’s floor with his fist. Instead he chose to focus on calming Haru down.

“Is Haru alright?” Kaede asked, her arm wrapped around Mine as she pinched a cloth over the older girl’s nose to stem the bleeding.

“Does this look alright to you?” Inuyasha bit out, turning to show Kaede the bruises that covered his daughter’s little body. Haru clung to him tightly, resting her face against his neck as he rubbed her back. The action was as much to soothe her as himself.

“My kami.” Kaede gasped. “How awful. Nothing is broken though?”

“That little bastard is lucky nothing is broken.” He growled.

 

“Inuyasha.” Kaede chided. “Watch your tongue around the children.” The hanyo glared daggers at the old woman. “I understand ye are angry, but it doesn’t help anything to curse.”

“It helps _me_ feel better.” The hanyo growled through gritted teeth.

Kaede rolled her eyes. “Mine, hold this tightly to your nose.” She instructed, guiding Mine’s hand to take the cloth held to her nose. Kaede grabbed another cloth and dunked it into the water as well. “Here.” She sighed, offering it to Inuyasha. “The cool water should help with swelling.” She explained.

Inuyasha accepted the damp cloth with a curt nod. He adjusted Haru so she sat nestled in his lap and placed the cool cloth against her side. Haru’s cries intensified once more and he winced sympathetically. “I’m sorry baby girl. I know it’s cold, but it’ll make you feel better.”

“No cold Papa! No cold! Oweee!” Haru cried, scrabbling at the cloth with her fingers.

“Stop Haru. It needs to stay there.” He scolded, grabbing her hand away. The toddler sniffled and leaned against him, hiccuping between cries. Inuyasha’s anger slowly ebbed, giving way to a deep sense of guilt.

If only he hadn’t left the girls alone none of this would have happened. He knew well the blind hatred some people held against yokai and hanyo, but it had been years since anyone in this village had expressed such prejudice openly.

“Inu-Oji?”

Inuyasha was pulled from his thoughts by Mine’s hand on his arm. She looked at him, a dark bruise of her own forming around her left eye. He opened his arms then, and she fell into him, hugging him tightly.

“I’m sorry.” The girl offered softly. Inuyasha hugged her in return.

“It ain’t your fault.” He sighed heavily. Mine looked up at him, a deep frown marring her innocent face.

“But Hideki hurt Haru because I couldn’t—“

Inuyasha cut her off with a quelling glare. “It wasn’t your fault.” He reiterated.

“Is Haru okay?” Mine asked. Haru’s cries had died to whimpers, but she still clung to him tightly.

“She’ll be alright thanks to you.” Inuyasha said. He tightened his hug around the girl, kissing her hair affectionately.

———

“I swear, if I ever get my hands on that boy he’ll regret laying hands on anyone!” Sango growled, punching the floor beside her.

“Believe me, I seriously thought about hunting him down myself. I still might.” Inuyasha groused, adjusting Haru in his arms. She had finally fallen asleep a short while ago and now napped peacefully snuggled against his shoulder. Inuyasha hadn’t been able to redress her without agitating the bruises on her side, so he draped her yukata over her like a blanket instead.

“I agree that the boy deserves a good thrashing, but perhaps it would be wise to tread lightly.” Kaede reasoned.

“What good would that do? The boy had no business doing what he did to Haru. Then he went after Mine for defending her. My blood boils just thinking about it!” Sango snapped.

“I hate to play devil’s advocate,” Miroku interjected. Up until then he had sat listening quietly with Mine in his lap. “But I agree with Kaede. It would be wise to tread lightly. Or are you forgetting who the boy’s grandfather is?”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten.” Sango rolled her eyes. “Why should it matter that Yamato is his grandfather?”

“It matters quite a lot. Yamato is the village headman. He might tolerate Inuyasha’s presence because he protects the village, but that courtesy may not extend to threatening his grandson.” Miroku explained. “It doesn’t help that his wife Emiko isn’t exactly subtle in her dislike of yokai.”

Inuyasha had heard enough. “I’m tired of this shit.” He snapped. “I get that most people don’t see more than a dirty mongrell when they look at me. I’m used to it by now, but if they think that I’m going to let them chase me out of my home for defending my own kid, they’re in for a hell of a fight.”

“If it comes to that, ye have our full support Inuyasha. Hopefully it will not.” Kaede sighed heavily.

“Do you think Emiko will cause any undue trouble?” Miroku asked, adjusting Mine on his lap.

“I can almost guarantee it.” Kaede said without hesitation. “Although, we’ll see what comes of it. Yamato, my cousin is a fair man. He does not jump to conclusions as easily as his wife. Perhaps it would be wise to go to him with this matter.”

“This is just fucking ridiculous. All this fuss over me doing my job protecting my own pup. Any other man in the village would have done the same and worse to that little brat.” He was glad that he still held Haru because if his hands had been free he would surely have put a hole through the wall with his fist.

“I don’t disagree Inuyasha. Unfortunately, if Emiko makes a big enough stink Yamato will have no choice but to listen. This has the potential to go very wrong. I have heard many a story of peaceful yokai being driven from their homes for lesser offenses.” Kaede pointed out.

“Keh. You’ve heard stories, but _I’ve_ seen it happen. _Hell,_ I’ve _lived_ it.” The hanyo groused, his words weighing heavy on his friend’s minds.

“I could get the twins to watch the younger ones tonight. You could leave Haru with them while we meet with Yamato.” Sango suggested.

“No.”

“Inuyasha, this will be no place for a small child.” Kaede interjected.

“I said _no._ She isn’t leaving my sight.” The hanyo’s tone left no room for argument.

“Papa, I want to come too.” Mine said, tugging on her father’s robes.

“Mine my love, I’m not sure that is a good idea.” Miroku answered.

“But I want to tell Yamato-san what happened. I’m not scared.” She insisted.

Miroku looked at his wife for backup, but found none. “I think we should let her come. If she’s brave enough to speak her peace, then who are we to stop her?” Sango offered.

“Alright.” Miroku shrugged. He knew when he was outnumbered.  

“Well, I suppose it’s settled then.” Kaede sighed heavily. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her gut that this was only the beginning of their trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

 As it turned out, Kaede’s sense of unease had been correct. When they had approached the headman’s compound they were stopped at the gate by a guard. He informed them that Lord Yamato was away on business to another village in the region, and would not be back for a week.

 

“Seriously?” Inuyasha snapped, glaring daggers at the guard. 

 

“I am sorry Inuyasha-sama. I am sure that Yamato-sama will gladly hear your grievances when he returns. Lady Emiko is busy attending to an urgent family matter and has requested that all non-family members be turned away.” 

 

“Well, it was worth a shot.” Miroku sighed, shrugging his arms defeatedly. “Perhaps we ought to head home for lunch.” 

 

“How in the world can you be so calm?” Sango hissed. “It’s infuriating.” 

 

“My dear, I assure you that I may appear calm on the outside, but I am seething with malcontent under the surface. I just know that it will do us no good to make a fuss when there is nothing we can do for now.” 

 

“I understand your frustration Sango dear, but your husband is correct. Until Yamato returns from his trip, there is nothing we can do. Now, I think it would all be for the best if we headed home. It’s been a long morning, and I know that I could use a meal and perhaps a nice rest.” 

 

“Well, I suppose we should be getting back home. The twins and Satoru are there alone, and I would rather not tempt fate by leaving them that way for much longer.” Sango answered defeatedly. The tone was unfitting of the once proud taijiya. “Inuyasha, Kaede, would you like to join us for lunch?” 

 

Inuyasha shook his head. As much as he appreciated his friend’s offer, he felt like he needed some time and space to think. “I’m going to take Haru home.” He said, adjusting her little body against his shoulder. She was dozing for now, but the fact that she wasn’t a screaming mess was a miracle in itself. 

 

“I will accompany the two of ye home.” Kaede said. It was not a question, but Inuyasha wasn’t going to argue with the old woman. Perhaps it might even be nice to have someone there to keep his mind from wandering down dark paths. 

 

Inuyasha kept his pace slow so Kaede could keep up. She was nearing her mid seventies, and although her mind showed no sign of slowing, her body had other ideas. She walked with her shoulder’s hunched, and a limp in her step aided by a large wooden cane that Inuyasha had crafted for her a few years prior. 

 

The cane made a soft clink in the dirt as they walked passed the village center where the bonfire was lit every night. There were not as many guards on patrol at this time of day, but two were still stationed high above in the wooden tower to keep an eye out for raiders or yokai. 

 

As they passed people in the village, Inuyasha offered them a polite nod of his head as he usually did, but less of them seemed to return his greeting. Although most of the villagers answered with a wave and a smile in return a few women saw him coming and gathered their children inside before he passed by. 

 

“Do not pay them any mind.” Kaede offered kindly. 

 

“I don’t.” Inuyasha huffed, although it wasn’t entirely true. It did bother him that these people, who up until today had treated him with kindness and acceptance suddenly viewed him as a threat. Could world have already spread of how he had lost his temper with that kid? 

 

“Do not lie to this old woman.” Kaede groused, poking him in the side with her cane. “I can see that something is bothering ye. It would make sense that the children told their mothers what they witnessed. I must say, you certainly put the fear of Kami in them!” Kaede chuckled. 

 

“Keh.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He hadn’t meant to scare the other children, just that  little bastard brat. He supposed that telling the kid that he would eat him may have been over doing it, but in the heat of the moment he hadn’t really been thinking about consequences.

 

Inuyasha was lost in his own thoughts as they continued their way to his home in the forest. He was so caught up that he didn’t notice when Haru tapped his shoulder for his attention.

“Papa?” She asked, but received no response. The toddler did not appreciate being ignored, especially when she was hungry. Instead of risking being ignored again, Haru lifted her little hand and tapped her father’s cheek insistently. “Papa! Papa! Papa!” 

 

“What is it?” Inuyasha snapped, glaring down at her for so rudely pulling him from his thoughts. 

 

“Tummy hungry Papa.” She explained urgently, leaning back just enough to pat her little belly. “We eat now?” Her large honey eyes looked up at him with such an earnest  innocence that he was taken aback and forced to stop in his tracks for a moment.

 

Kaede chuckled. Only one other person had earned that type of reaction from Inuyasha, and she had birthed the child he now held so closely. The old woman missed Kagome’s absence as much as Inuyasha did. Perhaps not as acutely, but still, her heart ached for the young woman that had become like her own child in the years since her return. 

 

“When we get home.” Inuyasha answered curtly as he continued on. 

 

“Tummy hungry Papa.” Haru repeated. “Tummy want Pockey!” She added, hoping that perhaps she might get her favorite treat.

 

“I don’t have Pockey.” Inuyasha explained, he was doing his best to keep his voice calm and his tone even. 

 

“Papa, tummy sad. Pockey yummy yummy.” Haru frowned, rubbing her belly forlornly. 

 

“We’ll eat lunch when we get home. We’re almost there.” He explained. 

 

“Tummy not want lunch. Tummy want yummy pockey please.” 

 

Inuyasha had to think quickly. What could he do to distract her from her craving for the futuristic treats? One of the village women had given him several sweet cakes as thanks for helping catch her chickens after a winter storm had knocked part of their pen over. “That’s too bad because I have sweet cakes for after lunch. Only good girls that eat all of their lunch can have one.” 

 

Haru’s little ears perked at the mention of sweet cakes. “Tummy want sweet cake!” She enthused. 

 

“Only if you eat your lunch like a good girl.” 

 

“Am good girl, Papa. _Good_ good girl!” 

 

“Well, look at that. We’re home now.” He said, stopping just before the front door. 

 

“Eat lunch now?” Haru asked as he set her on her feet. 

 

“I need to warm it up. Can you help Kaede-Obaasan?”

 

“Ok. Kady Obaasan! Me help!” Haru chirped, bouncing excitedly. 

 

“Of course my dear. Thank ye. Can ye hold my hand and help me inside?” The old priestess asked. 

 

“Yeah!” Haru answered, grabbing Kaede’s free hand and leading her inside the hut while Inuyasha held the matting open for them. 

 

The toddler walked carefully, her little tongue stuck out from between her lips as she concentrated on her task. Once Kaede was inside, she helped put the old woman’s shoes in the little cubby by the door and even found her a cushion to sit on. 

 

“Ye are such a good helper. Thank ye Haru.” Kaede praised as she settled in. The toddler beamed brightly and clapped her hands. 

 

“Yay! Good helper!” She said with a happy giggle. “Lunch Papa? Am hungry.” She asked, turning to tug on her father’s sleeve as he sat beside the cooking pit warming the rice and vegetables from earlier that day. It had stayed relatively warm inside the iron cooking pot, so it didn’t take long for the water he added to come to a boil and soften it up again. 

 

Inuyasha reached over and grabbed three bowls from the shelf and ladled some fish and vegetables over rice then handed one to Kaede with a pair of chopsticks. “Come sit down.” He said to Haru, patting his knee. The little girl quickly did as she was told and took a seat on her father’s lap, watching as he put a small amount in a bowl and scooted forward so her tummy was flush with the low table. “Careful, it’s hot.” He told her as he handed her a spoon. 

 

“Hot.” Haru parroted. 

 

“Yes. Hot. Blow on it like this.” He explained. He used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and blew on it gently before putting it in his mouth. Haru used her spoon to scoop up some food and carefully blew on it just like she’d been shown, or at least that’s what she thought. What she really did was blow a big fat raspberry that knocked a chunk of vegetable onto her yukata. When she was satisfied that it was cool enough she then put the food in her mouth. 

 

“That was very good Haru.” Kaede praised from across the tale. “Now take another bite.” 

 

Haru was determined to eat all of her food. She sang to herself as she ate, chiming, “Good girl, good girl, good girl,” Softly between bites. When she put the last spoonful in her mouth she proudly lifted her empty bowl up to show her father that she had finished every last bit. 

 

“Look Papa. All done! Sweet cake?”

 

“Hold on. I still have to finish my lunch.” He chided gently through a bite of food. 

 

“Eat lunch all gone! Only good Papa get sweet cake.” She explained, patting his head encouragingly. Kaede tried to hide her laughter behind her hand, but a loud snort escaped when she couldn’t contain herself.

Inuyasha growled low at the old woman, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. He knew why Kaede was laughing. Kagome had said almost that exact phrase a few times during their travels for the jewel shards. Ramen had been his preferred choice of treat back then. Kagome had often used that knowledge to get him to do things he wouldn’t ordinarily have done. Kagome would probably be rolling on the floor if she had witnessed her own daughter mirroring her so perfectly. 

 

As funny as it was, it was still embarrassing to be spoken to like that by his own child. He swallowed his bite of food and forced a smile. “Thank you Haru. Why don’t go play while I finish eating?” Haru’s sweet smile turned into a heart melting pout. 

 

“Lunch all gone. Am good girl.” Haru whimpered, showing him her empty bowl again. 

 

“Yes, I know you’re a good girl. I will get you one in just a little bit. You have to wait until the grown ups are done eating.” 

 

“Ok, Papa.” She sniffed dramatically, slowly toddling from the table to the back room with her head hung low. 

 

“Oh brother.” Inuyasha sighed, rolling his eyes when Haru had disappeared. 

 

“There is a lot of her mother in her.” Kaede chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve had such a good laugh in a long time.” 

 

“Glad to sacrifice my dignity for your entertainment.” Inuyasha groused dryly. “Should I offer up my pride next?” 

 

“Don’t pout Inuyasha. It’s unbecoming of a man your age.” Kaede scolded. “I’m just glad she’s so cheerful after what happened this morning. I was worried she might shut down. She’s a remarkable child, and ye are a good father.” 

 

“Thanks, I guess. I’m trying.” He took another bite of food, choosing to focus on chewing rather than the reddening of his face. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed by fatherhood. However, nobody, least of all himself, had expected him to get to this phase of life, let alone be good at it. He had grown up being told that he was a crude, unrefined disgusting tainted mongrel savage. How could he possibly procreate and not end up killing any offspring of his own? He was too rough, to quick to anger, and too violent.

 

Yet here he was, nurturing and caring for his own child like nobody had ever expected him to do. Not once had he ever hurt her with his claws. He was so careful, so gentle. He rocked her to sleep, bathed and clothed her, kissed her oweis, played with her, scared the monsters from her bad dreams away. 

 

Still, as hard as he tried, he hadn’t been able to keep her safe from the deep seeded prejudice against their kind. It had taken him a long time to be okay with his own heritage, but Kagome had been a huge part of that. He knew because of her that there was nothing wrong with being a part of two worlds. But just because he had finally become okay with it didn’t mean everyone else had. Now Haru had been hurt by some snot nosed brat who not only believed he was better than everybody else, but especially her because of her mixed blood. 

 

If his actions to defend his own child from being beaten made people see him as nothing more than a monster, then fuck them. If their kindness hinged on his ability to appear harmless while keeping the village safe from vandals and yokai, he didn’t want it. He could still be a good father to his daughter without their approval. 

 

“Sweet cake now Papa?” 

 

Haru’s soft voice broke Inuyasha from his downward spiral into darkness. He couldn’t go there again, not when he had everything to lose. He took a moment to get to his feet and collect himself. He smiled and offered Haru his hand. “Sure baby girl.” He answered, walking with her to where he had them stored inside a  woven basket. He carefully unwrapped them from the cloth that protected the house delicate sweets from crumbling. 

 

He handed one of the cakes to Haru, who smiled brightly, then without a second thought ran to Kaede and placed it in the old woman’s hand. “Kady-obasan, sweet cake for you!” She said sweetly, then ran back again. Inuyasha had another one ready for her, and she happily accepted it, taking an enthusiastic bite from her treat. 

 

“Mmmm! Yummy!” She enthused through a mouthful. “You eat. You good Papa, eat lunch all gone! Kady-obaasan good too! ” Haru giggled happily. This time Inuyasha did laugh. How could he not, when despite being beaten black and blue his daughter still managed to be such a kind, sweet, happy child?

 

“That was delightful.” Kaede sighed contentedly. “What did you think Haru?”

 

“Yummy! Thank you Papa!” Haru grabbed his leg into her arms and hugged tightly. “Me play now, bye bye.” She chattered before she was off to the back room once more. 

 

“I truly wish Kagome were here to see her grow up.” Kaede sighed wistfully. 

 

“You and me both.” Inuyasha agreed. 

 

“I’m sorry that there was no news this morning. Even with the people traveling through the village this time of year, I have heard no stories of any priestess.”

 

“It’s not your fault baba. You can’t tell me about what you don’t know. I’m not giving up though. She’s not gone, and I will find her.” 

 

“I believe you will.” Kaede said with a smile. 

 

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of a window smashing loudly, followed by Haru’s terrified cries as she came running for him, arms outstretched as she sought safety. For the second time that day Haru was curled up against him, reduced to tears. He held her close to himself as he investigated the source of the commotion. 

 

There, in the middle of the floor mat was a large stone, bigger than his hand, where it landed after crashing through the window, smashing the wooden frame on the right side so badly that it also damaged part of the wall.

 

“Inuyasha! You son of a bitch!” 

 

Haru flinched, crying into his neck in fear. Inuyasha growled, picked up the rock and headed for the front door of his home. He didn’t know who would be stupid enough to pull a stunt like this, but they were going to regret it. He held the rock in his clenched fist, feeling it crack under his strength as he moved passed Kaede.

 

“Inuyasha, violence will solve nothing.” She warned. 

“I haven’t done anything violent yet baba.” He seethed, and the priestess could have sworn she saw his golden eyes flash red for a moment. Quickly she grabbed her cane and hurried after him. 

 

“Come out and fight with someone who can fight back you fucking coward!” 

 

“You throw a rock at my house that almost hits my daughter, and you have the guts to call me a fucking coward?” Inuyasha snarled, coming face to face with a boy barely seventeen years old. 

 

“You had it coming you filthy half breed. Why don’t you fight someone your own size! Or does beating up little kids make you feel powerful?” The boy spat, his eyes wild with rage. 

 

“Who the hell are you kid? Where did you hear that I beat kids for shits and giggles?” Inuyasha asked. 

 

“Inuyasha, that’s Hirohito, Hideki’s brother.” Kaede said as she moved beside him. 

 

“I saw it with my own eyes! The claw marks on my brother’s back and shoulders! Your brat scarred him for life you piece of shit.”

 

“Hirohito, Inuyasha did not lay a hand on your brother, and neither did little Haru. Hideki was the one doing the harm.” Kaede explained, taking a few steps toward the boy. 

 

“Why are you defending them? I saw the bloody gashes myself. His hell spawn turned claws on my brother. It’s only a matter of time before it hurts someone else.” Hirohito yelled. 

 

“No Hirohito. I witnessed it myself. Your brother was hurting Inuyasha’s daughter and niece. He only pulled Hideki off in defense of them, and then let him go. Your brother was uninjured when he left.”

 

“That yokai has put you under a spell. How could you spout such lies? My brother is laying in bed crying in pain. He could bleed to death, and you defend this disgusting hanyo instead of treating his wounds! I ran to your house for help, but I found you here instead. I will make sure his evil presence can never taint our village again!” Hirohito pulled a sword from a scabbard hidden under the back of his kimono and brandished it. 

 

“Show him.” Kaede said, nodding toward Hirohito. 

 

“Show him what? This kid doesn’t even believe you.” Inuyasha snapped, eyes wide in disbelief.

 

“Show him Haru’s bruises. Perhaps if he sees the damage that his brother inflicted then he might be talked down.” 

 

Inuyasha growled through gritted teeth, but he didn’t want to maim this kid for what he believed was defending his brother. Carefully so he wouldn’t cause her pain, Inuyasha turned Haru so the large black bruises on her cheek and chin were clearly visible. 

 

“Your brother beat this little child without reason or cause, and he beat Miroku-sama’s daughter for defending her. Inuyasha was only protecting them when he pulled Hideki off. With my own eyes, I witnessed your brother raise his hands against this baby. Look at her bruises, Hirohito. How, if your brother was injured so terribly by this child did he manage to beat her so badly?” Kaede reasoned. 

 

“That abomination went berserk, and my brother was only defending his life.” Hirohito lifted the sword above his head and readied himself to attack, but hesitated when Kaede yelled. 

 

“STOP!”

 

“They deserve to die. All yokai are evil, and they must be killed before they kill us.”   The boy said, his body suddenly wracked with deep angry sobs. Despite his words, he remained frozen to the spot with the sword held above his head. 

 

“No Hirohito.” Kaede soothed, closing the distance between them. Inuyasha kept his eyes open for any sign that this kid would hurt the priestess. “My boy, you are not a killer. If you truly believe what you say, wait until your grandfather returns and bring it before him to judge fairly. Do not taint your soul in the name of revenge.” She pleaded. 

 

A loud sob escaped Hirohito, and he dropped the sword to the ground. Kaede carefully kicked the weapon toward Inuyasha where it would no longer be a threat to anyone. The hanyo breathed a sigh of relief as Kaede embraced the boy, doing her best to help calm him down. “Hirohito, I will come with you to treat your brother’s wounds. Please, lead the way.” She said before she turned to Inuyasha and whispered so only he heard her words. “Please stay safe Inuyasha. Please.” And with that she followed Hirohito back to the village. 

 

Haru continued to cry into Inuyasha’s shoulder, her little hands gripping him so tightly he feared she might hurt herself if he tried to remove her. Instead he dropped the rock he held and wrapped  both of his arms around her, holding her close and kissing her hair as she cried in fear for the second time today. The once solid rock fell to the ground in a brittle, broken heap of gravel and dust like a piece of dry clay, unnoticed by either the hanyo or his child.

 ___________________________________

 

Hello again my lovely, amazing, awesome readers! 

I am so glad to finally have something to post for you after such a long *cough* brain fart *cough* break from writing! I wanted so badly to write, but inspiration kept alluding me due to a mixture of lack of ideas, kids being home for the summer, and now being tired all the time because I’m pregnant with baby number three. 

You can thank my hubby for this chapter. He was like, “pull an all nighter and write and I’ll buy you doughnuts in the morning” and my pregnant butt was like “Heck yes I want doughnuts!” I felt so validated and understood that I got to writing and didn’t stop all night! So there you have it! I truly hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it and eating my doughnuts for breakfast(They were chocolate with sprinkles :), and they were so yummy!).


	5. Chapter 5

The warm spring sun felt glorious against the old priest's wrinkled and weather-worn skin. Old Kiyoshi smiled to himself as he carefully continued down the familiar pathway down the mountain from his home shrine. It was that time of year when the harsh winter snows finally melted enough to travel down the mountainside.  He would wander around the country from village to village aiding folk in their spiritual needs. Usually he would pick his most adept pupil to accompany him, but this year things were being done differently. All of his pupil's but one, Ryota, had abandon the shrine over the harsh winter. Although young Ryota was devoted to his spiritual practice, he lacked a sense of inner strength needed to become a priest. There was no questioning the young priest's moral conviction or devotion however. And with only the two of them attending the shrine it had seemed unlikely that his tradition would continue. That was until about two months ago, in the dead of a winter storm the old priest had seen a bright glowing light appear near the top of the mountain above the shrine. He had been praying to the shrine Kami to ease the burden of the storm when he noticed the blinding light in the distance. 

Thinking the Kami had answered his prayers for divine intervention, Kiyoshi had trudged his way through the snow to the peak. There he discovered what he believed to be a goddess come to earth to aid them in their time of greatest need. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever witnessed, her skin glowing like the light of the moon as she floated down from the heavens, landing softly in a heap on the snow covered peak. He had carefully wrapped her in his thick winter haori to keep her warm and preserve her modesty and carried her down the mountain on his back. 

He called her Katsuki, for she had shone as brightly as the full moon on a clear night. Katsuki was far more than just a divine beauty; she also proved to be incredibly spiritually gifted. She had an innate talent for calming unsettled spirits, and purifying evil from anything with just the touch of a single finger. Her skills with a bow were easily the best he had ever witnessed, as she never seemed to miss her target. The old priest regarded his new charge gently though, as she seemed to be of delicate mind on occasion. He had seen a far off look in her eyes whenever a mother and child had ventured to the shrine in fair weather to leave offerings. Her eyes would tear up, and her hand would absently touch her belly. Kiyoshi thought nothing of it however, for if he had his way she would become Ryota's wife, and together they would care for the shrine after his death. 

"Do not dawdle Katsuki. We must reach our first destination before nightfall." the old priest chided lightly. He heard the young woman's steps pick up their pace before falling into step beside him, and he smiled with satisfaction. 

"Kiyoshi-sama, are you sure that Ryota shouldn't be joining you on your journey? He is the most senior pupil. Surely he would be the more qualified choice." the young woman offered. "I would be honored to care for the shrine in your absence." 

"My dear Katsuki, I know that you question my judgment in this decision, but believe me when I tell you that I chose the most qualified of you to join me. Do not doubt your abilities. You are a gift to us from the Kami." Kiyoshi answered unwaveringly. 

Warm brown eyes averted as Katsuki bowed her head. "I will do my best to work diligently, and learn from your experience Kiyoshi-sama." 

"Now, we have a ways to go, and this path is quite steep. Keep your wits about you." the old man said with a satisfied nod. They had travelled a good ways down the mountain when he suddenly felt a powerful youki in the dense forest above them. It gave him a sense of unease, and he froze, holding his hand up to stop Katsuki. 

"Lord Sesshomaru, when will I be able to visit Lady Kaede again?" 

A young lady, no more than fifteen stepped onto the path from the dense woods above. She wore a beautifully woven gold and white silk kimono, much too fine to be worn as travel attire. A tall yokai in pale clothing clad in armor emerged from the trees behind her. His long flower silver hair shone brightly in the sunlight. 

Kiyoshi pulled a banishing spell scroll from inside his coat and held it at the ready. "Young lady, come away from there! You are in grave danger!" he warned.

The girl turned around and looked at him curiously, but did not move. She clearly was not the least bit concerned that she was in the presence of one of the most powerful yokai he had ever encountered. Her dark eyes moved from the old priest to Katsuki, and she smiled brightly, as if in recognition. 

"Kagome-sama!" she greeted warmly, her face lit with a brilliant smile. "I am surprised to see you! Where is Inuyasha-sama? Is he close by?" she asked. 

"I-I"m sorry?" Katsuki stammered, looking from the young girl to the yokai standing stoically behind her. She felt a sudden pang in her chest, as if there was something familiar about his long silver hair and honey eyes. The eyes were wrong though. They should be warm and welcoming, not icy cold. She shook the thought from her head immediately.

Katsuki stared at the girl with a blank expression. "Do you know Katsuki?" Kiyoshi asked. The girl giggled. 

"I am sorry. I thought that you were someone else. You look very much like my Lord's brother's wife." the girl, Rin explained. 

"Rin, we must continue." the yokai said, his voice cold and emotionless. He turned, flicking his sliver hair over his shoulder with his clawed hand as he turned to leave.  The action gave Katsuki a sudden vision of silver on red, and for just the flash of a second she felt the overwhelming feeling that she needed to follow this mysterious yokai, but she quickly brushed the feeling away. Clearly he must be playing tricks on her mind, though something in the very back of her head told her he did not care for such trickery.

Kiyoshi-sama acted quickly, grabbing the young girl by the wrist before she could leave.  She turned, giving him a quizzical look. 

"Young lady. That yokai is dangerous. Please, stay here and we will protect you." he offered. But Rin just shook her head and smiled. 

"Lord Sesshomaru is my protector." and with that she pulled herself free of his grip and scampered off without so much as a backward glance. 

______________________

Inuyasha heard Haru giggle behind him as he held the finished window frame up with one hand while he tried to slide it into place with the other. "Look Papa!" She had enthused. "Splish splash!" 

"Just a second." he managed to say, grunting as he struggled to fit the joint into the matching slot. Muttering curses under his breath, he finally managed to fit the window into the sliding frame. He sighed heavily and wiped the droplets of sweat from his brow. This had been one of those rare times when brute strength was of no use, and it had taken him much longer than he had first anticipated. Still, the job was finally finished. 

"What were you saying squirt?" he asked, turning around to address his daughter. The clearing in front of their home where Haru had been playing was now empty, her toys left scattered haphazardly on the ground. He assumed that she was trying to hide for the umpteenth time today, as she seemed to love it when he discovered her hiding place--always behind the wooden barrel he kept to collect rain water. 

"I wonder where Haru has gone? I just can't fine her." he exclaimed, his bafflement exaggerated for her amusement. He slowly tip toed closer to the barrel, then sneakily peeked over the top. There Haru sat in a puddle of mud, naked accept for her diaper, her yukata nowhere to be seen, smeared from head to toe in mud. Apparently she had discovered the tap near the bottom of the barrel and popped it open. She smiled and lifted her arms high, showing him her messy hands before smearing them through her hair, down her face to her belly. Inuyasha groaned.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he knelt down to her level. He was carful not to get any of the mess on himself, although he knew it was probably inevitable. 

"Make mud!" she answered proudly, wiggling her legs through the muck. 

"I can see that." he answered. his voice tired. "Where are your clothes?" 

"Here!" Haru answered happily, grabbing what had appeared to be a large clod of mud. She shook it slightly and the fabric slowly unfurled itself with a nasty squelching sound. The fabric was so caked in muck that he could no longer see the color of the pattern. Inuyasha groaned. Why did toddlers have to always be so messy? 

"Come on kiddo, we need to get you cleaned up." He grabbed ahold of Haru's arms and gently lifted her to her feet. There was a soft plopping sound as her mud heavy diaper slid down around her ankles. Haru stared down at it and pointed. 

"Uh oh. It fall off!" she announced, looking back at her now bare backside with concern. Inuyasha chuckled deeply then, any previous feelings of irritation now forgotten. Leave it to a toddler to lighten the mood without even trying.  This was one of those moments when he wished he had one of those camera things Kagome had used to take pictures with, because this was definitely a moment worth remembering. 

"I see a naked bottom! I'm gunna spank it!" He teased, growling playfully as he gave chase. Haru squealed, giggling mirthfully as she toddled away as fast as she could. "You better go faster, or I'm gunna spank that bottom!" 

"No Papa! No spank bottom!" Haru laughed. 

"Yes, spank the bottom?" he teased, waggling his eyebrows. 

"No!"

"Yes? Okay!" he laughed, scooping his pup up in one arm, gently swatting her backside with the other as Haru wriggled around trying to herself free. "I got it. I'm gunna spank it again!" he teased before swatting playfully twice more. 

"Papa no spank Haru! Stop please!" Haru pleaded breathlessly through her giggles. 

"But only naughty pups get spanked! Aren't you a naughty pup?" Inuyasha turned Haru and blew a raspberry on her belly, then wiped the mud from his face on the back of his sleeve. 

"Haru not naughty Papa!" 

"You're not?" He gasped, as if this was news to him. "But you got me all muddy! See?" 

Haru looked up at her father and smiled. His entire front was smeared with mud, as well as his chin. "Muddy mess!" she giggled. 

"I guess we both need a bath now." he answered, stopping at the edge of the stream. He tested the water's temperature with his foot, satisfied that it wasn't too cold, then squatted down, lowered Haru into the shallows. The pup happily knelt down to splash in the cool water, letting the mud on her arms and legs wash away in the lazy currant. Inuyasha got to work then; getting his hands wet he began scrubbing the muck from the rest of her skin, careful not to agitate her healing bruises. He cupped a little water in his hands and trickled it over Haru's head then got to work removing the clumps from her usually silver hair. She whined a few times when his fingers had gotten caught in a knot, but he carefully brushed through it with his fingers before continuing.

After a few minutes Haru was as clean as he could get her, splashing playfully at the little fish that swam around her toes. Inuyasha kept a watchful eye as he removed his outer fire rat haori and the cotton shirt. He dipped them into the water  and scrubbed vigorously to remove the mud from them. When he was satisfied they were clean, he tossed them onto a nice large flat rock to dry in the sun. HIs keen eyes watched as the fish darted away with every swipe of Haru's little hands, seeking shelter in the deeper parts of the stream, but not to be deterred Haru followed suit. "That's far enough Haru." he warned.

She obediently took a few steps backward, but kept a weary eye open just in case the fish decided to return. He nodded his approval, then closed his eyes and leaned back, enjoying the feeling of the warm sun against his skin. He kept his ears trained toward the water, listening for any signs of struggle. He heard a soft giggle, then felt a splash of water spray his chest. "You better stop that." he told her. A moment later he was hit by another spray of water to the face. "What did you do that for?" he asked her, his brows knitted together in annoyance. 

"Papa gots mud on you face. Haru help!" she answered. She dipped her hands into the cool water then leaned forward, dutifully rubbing the mud from his chin. The adult hanyo felt his annoyance melt away to nothing, and he relaxed, letting Haru continue 'helping' him. 

"Am I clean now?" he asked when she finally stopped scrubbing. 

"Uh huh. It all gone." Haru nodded. He felt a familiar youki butt up against his own and he growled under his breath he held Haru in one arm and got to his feet. He quickly grabbed robe of the fire rat and wrapped it around her, rubbing it gently over her head. He could sense his brother just behind the tree line, but chose to ignore him for the time being. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, rubbing it against Haru's affectionately. She smiled up at him, but suddenly shrunk into him, her little ears laying backward when she spotted Sesshomaru's menacing shadow emerged from the forest. 

"If you are done coddling your whelp, " Sesshomaru drawled cooly, clearly annoyed at being so blatantly ignored. 

"What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha groused, adjusting Haru on his hip. The toddler snuggled herself tightly against her father, but remained silent. She may still be very young, but she had enough sense to remain silent when she encountered someone as intimidating as her uncle. Her sense of smell told her he was kin, but the small amount of youki she posessed was absolutely overwhelmed by the power the taiyokai emitted from his person.

"I have come to discuss something with you." Sesshomaru stated. 

"What, those dumb panthers causing trouble in the West again?" Inuyasha snorted. "I ain't interested in fighting for a territory that means nothing to me." Sesshoumaru's expression remained unchanged, but his aura of growing anger belayed his true feelings. 

"Believe me when I say that those flea bitten felines would not dare rise against me again." 

"The why are you here?" 

"It is not concern of mine, but Rin thought it interesting that she encountered a woman with great resemblance to that of your miko on our journey." Sesshoumaru explained. He seemed bored, and turned to leave. 

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat. "Where?" Inuyasha asked breathlessly. 

"In the mountains north west of here. This woman was traveling with a human priest when we crossed paths. Rin was convinced that she wasn't in fact your wife, although she found the resemblance uncanny." Sesshomaru continued. 

 

"What about you? Were you convinced?" Inuyasha pressed, hoping beyond hope that this would be the lead that brought his Kagome back to him.

 

"I must admit that her scent resembled that of your wife closely. Too closely to be coincidence. If that woman is indeed not your miko, then someone is going to great lengths to convince people otherwise." The taiyokai suddenly fell silent then sauntered away without a backward glance. 

Inuyasha smiled like an idiot, unable to contain his excitement. This was his first real clue to what had happened to Kagome all of those months ago, and even if it ended up being a dead end it was a lead he could actually follow. "Papa, no squishy." Haru grunted, pushing against his chest to relieve some of the pressure he hadn't realized he had been holding her with. 

"Want to get dressed and visit Kaede-baba?" he asked Haru as he headed back to the hut. The toddler was excited to get the change to see her adoptive grandmother and smiled, nodding her little head excitedly. 

 

"Yes! Go see Kady-obaa!" she enthused. Inuyasha had never seen Haru so cooperative, holding incredibly still while he diapered and dressed her. Once he had gotten her sash tied securely Haru was already half way out the door. 

"Hold on there, you're not going anywhere without me." he chuckled as he lifted his excited pup into his arms and headed to the village as quickly as they could safely go.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
